Heron's Cove (Sharpe & Donovan)

FBI undercover agent Colin Donavan and special agent Emma Sharpe met at the Sisters of the Joyful Heart in Maine when respective religious mentors asked each for help (see Saint's Gate). Attracted to each other, the two feds are seeing one another.

Currently the pair is in his hometown of Heron's Cove, Maine when jewelry designer Tatiana Pavlova arrives in town from London to ask Emma for help. Tatiana explains that someone plans to steal a prized collection recently found. She proves right that trouble is coming to Heron's Cove in which the unknown adversary has no qualms with collateral damage occurring to the families and friends of the two FBI agents.

The second Donavan and Sharpe fast-paced romantic suspense returns the two intriguing Feds who find love a distraction as they work the Russian case; as once again the fine arts prove deadly. With a clever villain hidden in plain sight, the romance playing second fiddle to the whodunit, and the return of cast like Father Finian Bracken, readers will enjoy this exciting Maine mystery mindful of early Savich and Sherlock (by Catherine Coulter).

Harriet Klausner

Warning: This review contains some spoilers.

This was my first Carla Neggers read and, while I enjoyed some aspects of, it will probably be my last. The writing wasn't bad -- nothing terribly innovative and it was sometimes repetitive, but it got the job done. However, I found the main characters lackluster and detached, especially from each other, which really dragged down their relationship. How are we expected to believe that these two people, who've been in a relationship for a mere month and barely talk to each other, are actually in love? And while there were some good secondary characters (I particularly liked Tatiana and Finian, and found their stories far more interesting than those of Emma and Colin), there were also a few too many (was the side plot with Andy and Julianne truly necessary?). The story itself was slow-paced and simply unbelievable in the way it ensnared both Emma and Colin -- it relied too heavily on coincidence. A lot was left unexplained (how did Ivan know that Colin was in danger, and if he knew that, how was he unaware of Natalie's involvement and scheming? Where/how did Tatiana get the pendant found in her studio?) And if I had to read the line "I'm/She's/You're a Sharpe" one more time, I was going to lob this book out the window. Ultimately this one was a let-down, and while it passed a few hours, my irritation after finishing it doesn't really merit any further exploration into this series.

Trouble's afoot when the story starts. Colin Donovan, a ghost FBI agent, has been gone and silent too long. Emma Sharpe, Father Finian Bracken, and Colin's brothers Mike, Andy, and Kevin gather at Hurley's in Rock Point, Maine for whiskey tasting but more important for support as they wait and worry. The undercurrent of suspense ebbs and flows from beginning to end of HERON'S COVE.

Colin operates on instincts and has kept himself alive through tough jobs. But he needs help this time. An illegal arms deal has gone bad.

Emma Sharpe of the Sharpe Fine Art Recovery family, ex-nun, and now FBI agent gets a call from a trusted source from long ago. "Your man is in danger" and an address. Her call to her FBI boss Matt Yankowski secures Colin's escape.

Now, the intrigue, the tangle of Emma and Colin's pasts, the balancing of strong personalities, and the threat of danger for both their families and their friends create tensions in all directions. Old secrets, old and new greed, and love that hangs in there through it all keeps the reader "smack-dab" in the middle of the action.

Carla Neggers' strong characters, even the secondary ones, and her skill in weaving together multiple secrets and sub-plots into the main plot make HERON'S COVE spellbinding.

Emma's analytical, measured, never impulsive approach to a situation along with her unique connection to the art world make her a valuable asset to Matt Yankowski's team in the FBI. While Colin's bold, aggressive, "go-it-alone, instinctive methods make him a ghost that serves the FBI well. BUT, when their worlds get tangled both personally and professionally, Matt Yankowski says it's like opening two cans of worms on steroids--volatile--explosive.

Emma's intriguing connection with billionaire Russian Dmitri Rusakov and Ivan Alexander keeps Colin off-balance and edgy, but his not-to-be-denied attraction to and need for Emma makes him determine to keep her close--preferably in his house, in his bed.

Colin's family accepts Emma, but they size her up wondering if she can fit in Colin's life while she wonders if Colin and the Donovans can fit in her life. Mike, the oldest brother, is a loner and plain spoken. He has reservations about Emma that she can feel. Kevin, the policeman, and Andy, the lobsterman, just enjoy Emma's company with a wait and see attitude.

Father Finian Bracken, Colin's friend and confidante, understands Emma and plays a unique role in events as the story unfolds. He has a compelling story all his own.

If you read SAINT'S GATE, you probably feel like it is reunion time--so good to catch up with these characters, But, there's little time for visiting. Former client of the Sharpes, Russian billionaire Dmitri Rusakov brings his fancy yacht to Heron's Cove. His friend and body guard Ivan Alexander, who has a special place in his heart for Emma, is aboard. They bring trouble, trouble that connects to Colin's illegal arms trouble. My goodness, what a tangle things get in when tiny, feisty Tatiana and sophisticated Natalie stir the pot.

The way Ms. Neggers makes every little piece fit together and her vivid descriptions amazes. She pulls the reader into the environment so completely one can almost feel the October rain in Maine, feel the squish of mud under foot, and shiver with Tatiana hidden by the canoe. One feels the unspoken fear in the characters. The desire and uneasiness in Emma and Colin's relationship as it ebbs and flows like the tide keeps the reader turning pages as they move in fits and spurts toward a happy-ever-after that will never, ever, be dull.

HERON'S COVE teems with intriguing characters like Finian who is so much more than a priest: Andy, the rake, at least according to Julianne Maloney; and Mike Donovan that lives in isolation much of the time and seems gruff, but whom Emma knows has a romantic heart. Maybe Ms. Neggers will tell us their stories some day. HERON'S COVE is a keeper to be enjoyed more than once.

Originally posted at LAS Romance Reviews

Colin Donovan is an FBI agent in deep cover. Emma Sharpe is an FBI agent with strong ties to her family business investigating art crimes who utilizes her resources to help the man she loves. Unfortunately, both of them have many secrets and their delicate dance of courtship is complicated by their loyalty to their respective families and their personal codes of behavior. Colin's search for a mysterious arms dealer inexplicably ties into Emma's attempt to deal with a mysterious Russian art collection and the inclusion of their respective families in a dangerous investigation may be more than either can tolerate and may require exposing secrets better left hidden and risk lives that neither is prepared to accept.

"Heron's Cove" by Carla Neggers is a romantic suspense story that follows the adventures of Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan, both complex FBI agents who engage in a complicated dance of give and take when their respective cases seem to coalesce. Unfortunately, I have not read the first in the `Sharpe & Donovan' series ("Saint's Gate") so I am unsure whether the characters would resonate with me better had I done so. This story can be read as a stand alone but I think the complex relationships would hopefully make more sense if the main characters' shared backgrounds were better delineated. Unfortunately, I was irked by the odd dichotomy of their very intense regard for one another yet their tentative relationship which was displayed in such things as an erratic sleeping arrangement and multiple trips between the regions of Heron's Cove and Rock Point with very little resolution. Emma's ascetic background and Colin's taciturn nature are contrasted with the larger than life Dmitri Rusakov as a search for potential arms dealers and a purported art thief ensnare both the Sharpe and the Donovan families in an increasingly dangerous investigation but I had trouble relating to most of the characters, even as I sympathized with the tragic loss that some of them were dealing with. The author is gifted at creating an intriguing setting and interesting and mysterious characters but I wasn't enthralled by the story itself.

© Night Owl Reviews

I received a copy of this title in return for an honest review.

Emma Sharpe is missing her new boyfriend, Colin Donovan. They are both agents with the FBI and on the same specialized team. However their individual jobs are very different. Emma knows that Colin's job takes him away without contact but it's been too long without word and she is getting worried about him. News that a missing and spectacular art collection might be headed to her town, grabs Emma's attention. After all, her background is in art and art investigation and she also has a personal connection to both this collection and the people surrounding it.

Colin Donovan knows that his cover has been blown wide open and this might be his last job. When he finds a way to get away from the men who have decided to kill him rather then go for the merchandise they believe he has, Colin grabs it. Safe and finding out about what has been going on with his group, Colin is surprised to find out that Emma has a connection to the Russians that might have something to do with his cover mission. Trust is hard for Colin to give and while he is beginning to love Emma this turn of events makes him wonder if he can trust her.

Emma and Colin continue their unusual relationship while being surrounded by the mystery of why Emma's small town of Heron's Cove is suddenly the vacation spot for Russian's - especially ones who have an active interest in a very valuable art collection that has suddenly reappeared after being reported as missing. Both Emma's and Colin's backgrounds, families and jobs make their budding love a journey that must be traveled carefully. As Emma becomes more involved with the events going on in her town, danger seems to be hunting not only Emma and Colin but also those close to them. Hunting for the answers on who is out to re-steal the art collection might also help Emma and Colin continue to learn more about each other and their love while ending the danger that seems to be stalking them. The question is will they find the final answers in time to save those they love and each other?

The FBI and love doesn't always go hand-in-hand, but these two agents are willing to fight for their future in Heron's Cove. Emma and Colin are back and this time on the same FBI team. I knew that the relationship between Emma and Colin wouldn't be easy and this next adventure proved that fact. Not only are Emma and Colin trying to find that level of trust and knowledge that only lovers have with each other, but they are also involved with the recovery of an art collection that seems to have danger traveling with it. I loved seeing Colin and Emma juggle and flounder a bit while trying to find the path that would lead them into the future together. I knew that these two determined agents would find a way to have what they wanted no matter what and they proved me correct. I enjoyed the multilevel plot that had me wondering just what would pop out at me as I turned each page. Heron's Cove is the perfect collection of suspense, danger, family and love. What more could you ask for in a great romantic suspense - for me absolutely nothing!

Jo for Joyfully Reviewed

Irish, Russians and Mariners, oh my! Lots going on in this book. The whole crew is back along with some Russians. Colin and Emma are a couple now but they are still having trouble figuring out how to merge their pasts with their present. I enjoyed this book very much!

Carla Neggers returns with the second in her Sharpe and Donovan series and not only continues what promises to be a great series, but pushes it to new heights and for her that is already a high mark. Beginning in picturesque Heron's Cove on a foggy and chilly evening, Emma Sharpe is worried about Colin Donovan, her lover and a deep cover FBI agent. To add to her worries she is in the company of his brothers and Fr. Finian Bracken, an Irish priest and friend of Colin's who is conducting a whiskey tasting for them. They are all in various stages of understanding what Colin does, but all are worried about his prolonged silence. From this atmospheric beginning, Neggers spins a tale of intrigue and revenge which skillfully combines the twisting plot elements so that the reader is kept guessing until the stunning conclusion. Emma, herself an FBI agent and expert in art theft, is soon involved with a mysterious Russian treasure and Russian mobsters and Colin's case and hers come together in very dangerous ways. The characters are vivid and empathetically drawn, the scenes sparkle with detail to such a degree that you feel like you're walking along the Maine coast or down an Irish road and the pace never slackens. There is plenty of action and plenty of interaction between the prinicipal characters and Neggers deftly keeps the tension between those and that of the plot in balance. Already a master of prose style, Neggers adroitly makes her writing fuse with the elements of a story in such a way that it is hard to put this one down. She takes all the elements and creates a masterful work. If writing were baseball, this one is a grand slam and a walk-off win!

I am really enjoying this new series by Ms. Neggers featuring Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan. I love these two together. There are a lot of characters to keep track of and most of them have returned from the first book. But Emma and Colin steal the show with their relationship and jobs continually warring. Both have some baggage from their pasts but they have a passionate awareness of one another and mutual respect.

I have read many of Ms. Neggers' books but this series is fast becoming my favorite books of hers. I also enjoy the background stuff about Emma's family as art crime detectives. Colin's family are a story unto themselves with his three brothers and their friend Father Finian Bracken. This is a fast read and very good. I look forward to reading the next book in the series and would highly recommend the first two!

Overall well written but all the characters are a bit too cagey for comfort. There is a difference between discretion and refusing to share any information. And it seems that no level of trust between characters has developed since the first book in this series. It's a little hard to develop a relationship without trust and when everyone is running around treating even the simplest bit of information like it is a deep dark secret.

Neggers' work is generally enjoyable to read but the desire to bang your head against the wall at her characters' unwillingness to communicate prevents that extra star

Heron's Cove by Carla Neggers

FBI agents Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan find that their work on separate cases brings them together as both return to their homes in Maine.

Colin has barely escaped with his life from an undercover operation; Emma is recovering from a harrowing case involving the murder of a nun in her former convent. A talented Russian expat artist, a Russian billionaire, and the village priest are all involved as Emma and Colin investigate a case revolving around a priceless collection of Russian artifacts.

Narrator Carol Monda tells the story in a restrained yet effective manner. Her subtle vocal differentiations are effective in delegating characters, and suited to the low key atmosphere of the story. That said, the slow pace of the novel sometimes can't be overcome, and slows the audiobook down as well.

Followers of Neggers (and fans of her first Sharpe and Donovan book, Saint's Gate), will likely enjoy this. For others, attention may lag toward the end.
Melody Moxley, Rowan Public Library, Salisbury, NC for Sound Commentary; copy of audiobook received from Sound Commentary

I enjoy reading Carla Neggers. if you like books with great detail, stories and fables, and deep characters with real issues, then read a Carla Neggers. She makes you think a little, but sometimes that's a good thing. :) This one had Russian bad guys, and good guys, interesting characters, and a clan of brothers and outlying people that make you want to see who else has a book in this series.

I love this series....You think you have the answers and then another question comes to light! The Irish Coast & the Maine Coast...both powerful places full of tradition and mystery. Great writer...read them all!

I thoroughly am enjoying this series and not just because I am Irish. The characters are being deliciously developed along with their relationships and the interactions among this "ensemble cast". I have already ordered the next two and hope for more.

I've enjoyed several of Carla Neggers' novels, especially because I live in New England and love the settings. Heron's Cove had interesting characters and dialog, as usual. It would be a good beach read if it were still summer. For fall, I'd say it's a good book to read in front of the fireplace.

The first chapter starting out with some action. But then it got boring, repeating the same things over and over with different characters. I haven't finishing reading the book. Don't know it I or just read the last chapter.

Carla Neggers never fails to draw the reader into the story. She does a great job of weaving mystery and romance into the story.
Her writing is very vivid in relating geographic detail, background history and local culture. The reader feels as if they are right there in place & time. I am always anxious for her next release. A very talented author.

Irish, Russians and Mariners, oh my! Lots going on in this book. The whole crew is back along with some Russians. Colin and Emma are a couple now but they are still having trouble figuring out how to merge their pasts with their present. I enjoyed this book very much!